


Codicil

by Darkrivertempest



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Humor, Bad Parenting, Drama, M/M, Manipulations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkrivertempest/pseuds/Darkrivertempest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snape and Lupin are thrust together in an effort to raise Harry per a surprise request from Lily Potter after the end of the first war. They soon decide that nappy changing is more foul than the Dark Lord ever could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mabonwitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabonwitch/gifts).



> Written for Mabonwitch at the 2010 Snupin_Santa Fic exchange on LJ. This takes place just after Voldemort's initial defeat. I also messed with the timeline a bit. Per canon, Frank and Alice Longbottom were attacked _after_ James and Lily died. In this fic, I place it earlier, before the death of the Potters. Keep in mind also, that Severus and Remus are only twenty-one. I believe the years in between the wars made Snape more bitter, more weary and cold, so he's just a tad more forgiving here, though still very snarky. 
> 
> **Disclaimer:** All Harry Potter characters and canon Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling and associates. I am in no way affiliated with Warner Brothers, JK Rowling, or Scholastic. I do not make any money from the publishing or writing of this story.
> 
> Many thanks to my betas: Sotia, Mari and IBE!

Albus Dumbledore sat in a gothic, throne-like chair, fingers steepled, and listened intently to the solicitor’s crisp speech.

“This is highly irregular, Mister Dumbledore. It seems that, while there were two separate wills in effect for both Potters, each had a different stipulation with regards to their child.” The portly gentleman glanced between the two sheaves of parchment. “The situation is delicate, to say the least.”

Reining in his irritation, Albus gave him a small smile. “Why don’t you just fulfil your duties, Mister Buttermore?”

Clearing his throat, Richard Buttermore—solicitor to Muggle and wizard-folk alike—read aloud the Last Will and Testament of Lily Potter.

“I, Lily Potter, née Evans, being of sound mind and judgment this tenth day of October, in the year nineteen eighty-one, do hereby revoke all former Wills and testamentary disposition made by me under the law of England and Wales and declare that the proper law of this, my Will, shall be the law of England and Wales. I appoint my spouse, James Potter, to be the Executor and Trustee of this, my Will. In case the aforesaid shall die in my lifetime, then I appoint the firm of Buttermore, Hagerty and Blishwick to fill the vacancy in the office of Executor and Trustee hereof. If nobody with parental responsibilities survives me, I appoint Mister Severus Tobias Snape to be the guardian of Harry James Potter. This shall circumvent any efforts to place minor children with my estranged Muggle family. The time frame allotted for the transition should not exceed one month. Should these conditions fail entirely, be denied, or be declared void, let it be known that precautions have been taken to have Harry Potter removed from the Wizarding community permanently, and all contact betwixt him and said community should cease. These are my final wishes.”

“Interesting,” Albus drawled, scratching his chin. 

Buttermore nodded. “Her husband’s appendices read much the same way.”

Arching a brow, the old wizard scoffed. “I highly doubt James Potter would wish for custody of his only child to go to Severus Snape.”

“In that, you are correct, he didn’t. That is where the irregularity comes into play.”

“Go on.”

Switching to the other parchment, Buttermore summed up James Potter’s Will. “Well, as I said, it is practically the same, barring the guardian. He names Mister Sirius Black as Harry’s guardian and promises retribution in kind, if his wishes are not met.” 

“A quandary, indeed.” 

Buttermore mopped his sweaty brow with a linen handkerchief. “I cannot guess as to her reasoning for changing her Will. A junior solicitor must have handled Mister Potter’s request, as I know I myself saw Mrs. Potter during October. It is the only way I can account for such an oversight.”

Dumbledore stood and paced slowly in the smallish office. “Quite.” He stopped for a moment to gaze out one of the windows at the passersby on the street. “There are several factors to consider here. Barring the fact that Severus Snape and Sirius Black loathe each other, Mister Black is currently within the confines of Azkaban and very unlikely to be released.”

“So they have convicted him, then?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Albus nodded. “It would seem so.” 

“Dumbledore,” Buttermore hedged, “We may have to find an alternative to Black.”

“How will that resolve this situation, Buttermore? As it stands, Harry is with his aunt at the moment. According to Lily’s will, I have just twenty days to turn him over to Snape, or the boy will be taken from the Wizarding world. That cannot be allowed to happen; you _know_ how precious that child is.”

Lips thinned, Buttermore pointed to James’ Will. “And if you don’t hand him over to Black within the same timeframe, he’ll be removed from the Muggle world and whisked off to Merlin knows where, with the same results.” He sat back in his leather wingback chair. “Let me send someone to visit Black, to see if there is an alternative since he’s incapacitated.”

“Do it, then.” Albus grunted and reached for his Muggle dress-coat. “The sooner that child is safe, the better I’ll feel.”

~*~

Severus Snape stood rigidly before the man who had claimed that he could save Lily and yet had failed to do so. “You wished to see me, Headmaster?”

Peering over his half-moon spectacles at the thin, dark man, Dumbledore nodded. “Please sit, Severus.”

Doing so hesitantly, the Slytherin lowered himself to the leather chair situated in front. “I have no news to report, sir.” He hadn’t—not for over a week, during which almost all traces of the Dark Lord had vanished... and Lily was gone. Biting the inside of his cheek to maintain control, he focused on the wizard behind the desk. 

Dumbledore studied him intently. “I know.” He laced his fingers together and placed them on the aged wooden surface. “Something that concerns you has come to my attention.”

Brows raised, he gripped the armrests of his chair until his knuckles were white. “I-I haven’t—”

“I know you haven’t,” the Headmaster reassured, waving off the other man’s concerns. “I know why you stay.”

Unbidden, tears clouded Snape’s vision. The wound was so fresh and so very deep. Lily, the only light that had shone in his dark world, had forever been extinguished because of his recklessness. And now he would forever strive to atone for his actions. Blinking rapidly to dispel the moisture, he focused on the older man starring back at him. “You were saying, sir?”

Albus gave him a small smile. “It involves the boy.”

Severus immediately stiffened. “And how would that have to do with me?”

“How, indeed,” Dumbledore countered with a hint of consternation. “Though there are several details that are still being looked over, it seems that...” 

Tilting his head in curiosity, Severus prompted his former professor to continue when Dumbledore lapsed into silence. “Yes?”

Unable to sit still, for he always preferred to be in motion, Albus stood and began pacing. “You must understand that this was completely unexpected and not without extreme complications.”

Getting dizzy from watching the man walk, turn, and walk again, Severus closed his eyes and huffed in irritation. “It would help if you actually told me what the issue was.”

The Headmaster paused, something occurring to him. “Did you and Lily Potter have a relationship once you left Hogwarts?”

A mixture of emotions flitted quickly across Snape’s face before his eyes became blank. “The last communication I had with Lily was just before her wedding to _Potter_.” Had he meant to spit the man’s name out like that? Definitely. 

“And that was?”

“My business, not yours,” he answered, sneering. He would never admit that he’d humbled himself before Lily one last time in an effort to persuade her that James-bloody-Potter wasn’t the man she believed him to be. 

“It _is_ my business!” Albus declared, heatedly. “It is very much my business when I’ve just come from the solicitor’s office, having been told that you are to be Harry’s guardian!”

There was a sudden, noticeable twitch to Severus’ left eye. “Excuse me?” he whispered. He had to have misheard. The old man was raving—he had to be.

“Yes, Severus.” Dumbledore leaned over his desk and gave him a pointed look. “Twenty-one days before she died, Lily Potter named you Harry’s legal guardian and, should we refuse this ridiculous notion, the boy will be taken from the Wizarding world, possibly to never be seen again.”

Snape paled further with every word the other wizard uttered. “Madness,” was the only word he could push past his lips.

“Of course it is!” Dumbledore was practically screaming now. “So, I ask you again: what kind of contact did you have with Lily after Hogwarts, that she would willingly turn over her own flesh and blood to a man who betrayed her?”

“I didn’t betray her knowingly!” Severus shouted back. Teeth clenched, he stood to match his new master in height. “Had I known that fucking prophesy concerned her, I would’ve gone to the grave to protect her!”

“Then why?”

“I am as astounded as you; may I remind you?” Snape folded his arms in his usual self-protective gesture. “I merely asked Lily to reconsider her choice about the man she was to marry that day, nothing more.”

Giving no indication of what he was about to do, Dumbledore seized his wand. “ _Legilimens_!”

Though he was skilled in Occlumency, Snape was not yet as proficient as he hoped to become, and was therefore no match for the power of the Headmaster. He tried to raise every shield and barrier he possibly could, but each one failed when faced with Dumbledore’s penetrating spell. 

_“Lily, please, think about what you’re doing!”_

_“Why do you come to me now, of all days, Sev?” Her head hung low. “You shouldn’t be here.”_

_He touched her shoulder and even dared to grip it hard. “You must listen to me! James Potter was, is and always will be an insolent brat, hell-bent on causing as much pain as he’s legally allowed to.”_

_“Let go of me,” she said with a hiss, moving away from him. “I know what he is; haven’t I told you all of this before?”_

_Snape’s look was one of enormous confusion. “Then why are you doing this? Why are you—”_

_His words died on his lips the moment she grabbed his hand and placed it on her abdomen. “Because of this.”_

_Though it was faint, Snape could feel the soft pulse of magic thrumming in Lily’s womb. “Oh, Lily...”_

_“Don’t you dare pity me, Severus Snape.” She stepped back from his touch and his forlorn look. “Mum and Dad are gone, Tuney was in a right snit the last time I talked to he and I don’t fit in anywhere else. So, don’t you even presume to care for me now.”_

_“I have always cared!”_

_“You cared for me so much that you called me a Mudblood? That you refused to stop dabbling in the Dark Arts? That you allowed your_ friends _to torment me?” She snorted with disdain. “If that is your way of showing affection to those you care for, I think I’ll stay with egotistical James and his toerag ways.”_

_Severus’ features had become more sullen with her words. “Mark my words, Lily. Some day, the façade will crumble and you’ll know the real James Potter.”_

With one final push, Snape was able to expel Dumbledore from his mind. “You bastard!” he snarled. He snatched and trained his wand on the aging wizard before him. 

“I’d reconsider that, if I were you,” Albus drawled. “You are, after all, the boy’s guardian.”

“And if I don’t want the brat?” Snape still hadn’t lowered his wand.

“Irrelevant. The Will clearly stipulates if Harry is not turned over to you, he will ‘disappear’ from our world. You _know_ that can’t be allowed to happen.”

Slowly lowering his wand, Snape sat in the chair, a defeated air about him. “What could she have been thinking? Me, of all people!” His brows drew together in puzzlement. “Is there a reason stated that she wished for this?”

Resuming his seat as well, Albus shook his head. “Buttermore indicated that when he spoke with her on that day, she was calm and collected, though a little reserved. He questioned her several times as to her intent to see if there were any extraneous circumstances.”

That piqued Severus’ attention. “Did she say anything?”

Albus stroked his beard in contemplation. “He only indicated that she was adamant that you be Harry’s guardian, but nothing else.” 

Severus didn’t know if his jaw could drop any further. “I can’t believe James Potter would agree with this.”

“In that, you are correct. The details are sketchy for the time being, until Buttermore explores another avenue, but it looks as if the Wills negate one another. Lily left Harry to you while James left the boy to...”

Oh, he didn’t like that grimace of Dumbledore’s. “Well?”

The Headmaster replied after some hesitation. “Sirius Black.” 

“No,” Severus responded in a low tone and with deadly calm.

“You see our dilemma, then.”

“Dilemma?” Snape nearly screeched. “The man’s a fucking murderer!”

“Language, Severus.”

“I’ll say whatever the hell I want, old man!” This time, it was Snape who stood and began pacing. “Just what exactly was your plan? To allow Harry familial visits with the man responsible for his parents’ death, while I wipe the child’s bum and pray that I don’t injure him?”

“Calm yourself,” Dumbledore ordered. 

This only incensed Severus. “ _Calm_ myself? I’ve just been told I am responsible for a child that the Dark Lord wanted very much dead, not to mention that I am to have contact with the foulest human on earth and—to top it off—I have no steady employment, regardless of the work I do for you!”

“Silence!” Dumbledore roared, his voice echoing off the walls in his chamber and waking a few of the slumbering portraits. Once the room was quiet again, he proceeded. “Now, if you are done lamenting the fact that you and Black were both named guardians, you will recall that I said Buttermore is seeking alternatives to James Potter’s final request.”

“Buttermore’s a Squib,” Snape spat. “Had Regulus’ parents been alive, they would’ve vaporised him on sight. As it stands, he wouldn’t even be able to handle the documents, on pain of an agonising death.”

Dumbledore leaned back in his ornate chair. “One of Buttermore’s associates—one whom we can trust—is a pure-blood and will visit Black to discuss alternatives.”

Gripping the scrollwork on the back of the chair he’d been sitting in, Snape scoffed. “Good luck getting him to talk. How do you know he hasn’t already gone mad?”

Dumbledore shrugged. “Then all the better to declare him _non compos mentis_ and raise the child alone.”

“And what of the boy until then?”

“Don’t tell me you care for him?” Albus asked with a knowing smirk.

Severus returned the smirk, but his had a decidedly wicked edge. “If I am to be a so-called parent to the boy, I must feign interest, should I not?”

Eyes narrowed, Dumbledore leaned forward, his tone deadly. “Severus, if you harm one hair on that child’s head—”

“Spare me the lecture,” Snape said in a bored manner, his hand raised. “I’ve heard it countless times before. You do drone on so.”

White shaggy eyebrows rose several notches. “Is that so?” A thought formed in his mind; one that would give the wayward man a taste of his own insolence. “Well, it just so happens I am in need of a lecturer.”

“Explain.”

Dumbledore stood and began pacing once more. “Since, as you say, you are in need of actual employment to support Harry and yourself—”

Snape couldn’t help the derisive snort that escaped him.

“As I was saying,” Albus bit out, glaring at the younger wizard, “since you will need to be able to provide for yourself and the boy, I’m extending you an offer, to teach here at Hogwarts.”

Unexpected hope burned bright and constricted Severus’ chest, though his outside countenance revealed nothing. Long he had coveted the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, and now it might be handed to him on a silver platter, so to speak. He supposed he could spare a modicum of gratitude to Potter for dying so spectacularly, that his own most fervent dream would come to fruition.

Albus saw that lustful gleam and mentally patted himself on the back for being able to read the man so easily. He would try not to enjoy the look of utter despair the young man would have once he was told which position he would actually be filling. “Potions, Severus.”

Obsidian eyes flared for a brief moment, before fading to their usual dull, disinterested state. “Potions.”

“You don’t have a hearing problem, do you, Severus?”

The miserable, conniving, old schemer! “I take it Slughorn is retiring?”

“I’ve presented him with the option of early retirement, yes.”

Severus’ eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Leaning back in his chair, Dumbledore studied the young wizard before answering. “You are needed here. There is no feasible reason to keep you in my employ, without arousing suspicion from both sides; the only choice is for you to become a staff member. You excelled, even Mastered, in Potions. It is a logical choice.”

“But Defence Against the Dark Arts needs—”

“No!” Albus thundered. “I’ve told you before; must I continually repeat myself?”

Teeth clenched, Snape gritted out, “Why?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Headmaster sighed heavily. “Though you came to me of your own free will, concerning your past transgressions, I feel it would be remiss of me to place you back amongst the wolves, so to speak. Allowing you to teach such a course could very well cause you to relapse. You know I can’t allow that to happen.”

Lips curling into a sneer, Snape looked down at him, face hard as iron. “Well, then, since you doubt my abilities in the Dark Arts, I suppose Potions it must be.” Without waiting to be dismissed, he turned and left the chamber, the door slamming in his wake. 

“Hades’ bollocks!” Albus threw his spectacles on the desk. “Can nothing ever go smoothly with that boy?”

~*~

Having been married into the Black family, Jim Blishwick had seen many things in his day. Too many. In fact, if the choice had been his, he would’ve never even gone near the inbred family, let alone to try and mate with them. But, as had always been the way of the pure-blood society, he had been auctioned off to the highest bidder. Genoa Black had had her sights set on him, and he’d therefore stood no chance against the affluent family. 

That had also put him in the awkward position of visiting his estranged cousin—fourth or fifth, he couldn’t remember. Having looked James Potter’s Will over, he sincerely hoped Sirius Black would be an accommodating man. He didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the visiting section of Azkaban. 

Having been ushered to a dank receiving area and given a rickety chair, Blishwick sat in the bitter chill that infiltrated the room. A window near the ceiling provided the only dim source of light. He clutched his satchel to his chest, as if it would protect him from the Dementors meandering in the gaol. He nearly lost his nerve when a side door opened and a man in prison-issue clothing was shoved into the room, stumbling to land at his feet.

The filthy inmate struggled to stand, his ankles and wrists shackled with iron cuffs, and swept his lank curls to the side. “Who’re you?”

“Solicitor Blishwick with the firm of Buttermore, Hagerty and Blishwick. I’m here to discuss James Potter’s Last Will and Testament.” 

Black gave a high-pitched laugh. “Ironic, isn’t it? Knowing James, he probably left me something of worth, but since I’m in here, I can’t claim it. It’ll keep in my vault until I’m free, then.”

Blishwick arched a brow. “I highly doubt it. Other arrangements must be made. You’re as good as dead, in here.”

Lips thinned, Sirius made to leap at the smug man, but was thrown back against the craggy walls of the chamber. He wisely stayed in his crumpled position on the dirt floor. “What do you really want?” he panted.

Blishwick opened the leather briefcase, withdrew several documents, and handed them to Black. “You are listed as guardian to Harry James Potter, since Lily and James Potter are deceased, as you well know. Harry is a minor and therefore in need of a custodian until he reaches the age of majority.”

Sirius looked over the documents, frowning. “I didn’t kill them,” he whispered.

“That is irrelevant at this point,” Blishwick said evasively. 

“No,” Sirius growled and threw the papers back at the man sitting opposite him. “Harry is mine!” 

Bending over, Blishwick gathered the documents and put them back in his satchel. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mister Black. We’ll have the court appoint a custodian for the boy, then.” He rose from his seat, prepared to leave.

“Wait!” Sirius had a decidedly panicked look about him. “I don’t trust the courts.”

Not bothering to return to his seat, Blishwick remained where he was. “I’m listening.”

“If I name someone to be custodian until Harry becomes of age, it will be legal and binding, yes?”

Blishwick nodded. “Seeing as I am a practising solicitor and have due authority to handle the Potter’s Will, I can insert a codicil that will allow the Will to be executed and remain faithful to the original intent.”

Sirius stood on shaky legs. “And this custodian, he would have complete control over Harry until the boy becomes of age?”

The tricky part to answering that question would be to avoid telling him who the co-guardian would be. “Yes,” Blishwick drawled. “The custodian would care for the child.”

Apparently that was enough for Sirius Black. “Well then, Blishwick,” the manacled wizard said with a mad grin, “The custodian shall be...”

~*~

Dumbledore glanced at the paperwork that was presented to him. “You realise this is almost no better than Sirius Black.”

Richard Buttermore narrowed his eyes and glared. “This is as good as you’re going to get, for the time being.” 

Sighing heavily, Albus laid the parchment on Buttmore’s desk. “I’ll make it happen.” He retrieved his cloak and left rather hurriedly. He was heading for the small village of Upper Flagley to visit none other than Remus Lupin.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus Lupin let the axe swing downwards in a tight arc and neatly sliced the thick log in two. Winter would be setting in soon and he wanted his parents to have enough wood to last them the entire season. He knew he could have split the logs magically, but, beyond his transformation, that was the most exercise he got and it was a way to blow off steam from his almost constant state of irritability those past weeks. 

With each drop of the axe, he imagined the wood to be the head of the Dark Lord or even that of his own ex-lover, Sirius. Though they had been separated almost a year before James and Lily’s deaths, he had loved the unstable wizard even after Sirius had accused him of being a spy. Remus snorted at the idea. A spy. Him? Hardly. 

When he’d heard of James’ and Lily’s deaths on Hallowe’en, he had been devastated. They had been his extended family and he’d cared for them dearly. Hell, James had even taken care of him financially once they had left Hogwarts, since no one would employ a known werewolf. Once he’d learned that it had been Sirius who betrayed their location, however, he’d gone a bit mad. Of all the people in the world, he would never in a million years have guessed that their best friend would have done such a thing. Regulus possibly, but never Sirius. Not only had there been the loss of James and Lily to think of, which left young Harry an orphan, there was poor Peter, as well. Black had truly fucked them all. 

Remus hadn’t known who to turn to, so he’d returned to his parents, constantly on guard and wary of strangers. Yes, he had done the odd job for Dumbledore and the Order, especially if it concerned the werewolf packs, but he could only be so much help, since he was considered an Omega—or, at the very most, a Beta—within a pack. It wasn’t like he could waltz in, chat up the group and they would spill their secrets. Deep trust was involved; he couldn’t gain that overnight, which meant long stints undercover. Maybe it was the long absences that had caused Sirius to stop trusting him after a time. 

Another swing and another image of Sirius losing some vital part of his anatomy flashed in his mind. Remus cursed himself for a fool that he’d ever believed anything that had passed the lips of his former lover. Sirius was very good at spouting bits of excellent personal philosophy, but he didn’t always live up to them. _If you want to know what a man is really like, look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals._ The werewolf snorted. Black loathed Kreacher, who was by most estimations his inferior, and had treated him with nothing but contempt. A perfect example of, ‘do as I say, not as I do’. 

Similarly, Sirius claimed often enough that nobody was wholly good or wholly evil; yet the way he acted towards Snape suggested that he thought there were no latent good qualities in him. Remus had not been on friendly enough terms with their greasy schoolmate, so he couldn’t even hazard an opinion. When it came right down to it, Lily, James and Peter were dead, Sirius was serving a life sentence in Azkaban, Harry was with his Muggle aunt and he was aimless.

Things couldn’t possibly get worse.

“Remus?”

Cringing at the sound of his name uttered by the Headmaster of Hogwarts made him rethink that idea. Panting from the exertion, Remus embedded the blade of the axe in the stump, wiped his palms on the back of his faded trousers and finally turned to see the older wizard. “Albus.”

Albus scanned the stacks of wood piled against the cottage where Lupin’s parents resided. They extended over the length of two sides of the house and were about two feet high. “You’ve been busy.”

“It keeps my mind off things,” Remus muttered. He began piling several logs into his arms and placing them on the stacks. Not waiting for Dumbledore to speak, he spoke pre-emptively. “I’m in no mood for another mission, if that’s why you’re here.”

Waving the werewolf off, Dumbledore helped levitate a couple of logs. “No, no need at the moment.” 

Remus turned and studied his former professor with narrowed eyes. “Then why are you here? I told you everything I could about Sirius. You know as much as I do.”

“Dear boy, such a suspicious mind,” Albus admonished gently. 

Remus scoffed. “In this day and age? Absolutely.”

Unwilling to beat about the bush, Dumbledore spoke in a low tone and very quickly, “There is a delicate matter that must be attended to, and with great expediency.”

Chucking some logs on the pile, Remus frowned. “I thought you weren’t here about a mission?”

“The matter could be construed as a mission, though it isn’t the kind you’ve been assigned so far.”

Despite his earlier misgivings, he was now highly curious. “I’m listening.”

“It will be difficult to hear.”

Snorting, Remus shook his head. “Doubtful. Nothing could be more difficult than these past two weeks, what with—”

“You’ve been named Harry’s custodian,” Albus cut him off. 

An oppressive silence filled the air. “What?” he whispered.

Dumbledore began to pace. “Unforeseen circumstances have placed guardianship of Harry with you and one other person. If we do not comply, it is very likely the boy will disappear before we were able to prevent it.”

The tawny wizard had not moved from his spot, his mouth hanging open in shock. “This is ridiculous. What person in their right mind would hand over their child to a werewolf?”

“Someone in their right mind wouldn’t,” Albus agreed, thinking of Sirius Black and the very real likelihood that the man was already insane. “However, it is a fact that we have to accept.”

“No,” Remus said vehemently with a slashing of his hand. “It’s too dangerous.”

Albus crossed his arms. “Perhaps you don’t understand. This is non-negotiable. Harry must be protected, above all else. If that means placing him with you and Severus, then—”

“What?” the werewolf bit out harshly. He had to have heard wrong. There was no way in Merlin’s name that...

“It’s an unusual situation, to say the least, Remus, but we are constrained by James and Lily’s wishes, as set forth in their Last Will and Testament.”

Lupin shook his head, refusing to believe it. “They would never knowingly leave Harry with me—or with Snape!”

Stepping closer, Dumbledore spoke in heated tones. “We thought that as well. But three weeks before their deaths, both Potters changed their Wills, leaving the boy to separate individuals, stating that if their demands were not met, Harry would be taken from our world.” He leaned in until his nose was almost touching Remus’. “I can’t tell you how disastrous it would be for us, should that happen.”

“Madness,” the younger wizard muttered under his breath. “Utter madness.”

Dumbledore straightened and stroked his beard. “Can you think of any reason that they would choose to change their Wills in such a fashion?”

Remus wracked his brain for any snippet of information, any clue as to why Lily or James would have made such a drastic change, so close to their deaths. “Was I their first choice for this dubious task?”

“No. Sirius Black was.”

Nostrils flaring, Remus nearly bit through his lower lip to keep from shouting obscenities. “That makes more sense than choosing me,” he admitted with a growl. “Except for the fact that he’s in bloody Azkaban!”

“My point exactly.” Dumbledore emphasized his agreement with a nod. “You were named by Sirius himself.”

The red flush that had covered Remus’ face a moment ago paled to near white. “Why in Merlin’s name would he do such a thing? I’ve severed all ties with him.”

Albus arched a brow in contemplation. “Apparently, he felt differently.”

Unable to verbalize much of anything, Remus began pacing, his long strides kicking up clumps of sod. To him, it was unconscionable and irresponsible of Sirius to do such a thing, but then again, look at the source of the problem. Lupin doubted there was a sensible bone in the man’s body. He wiped his sweaty face with his hands and alternated between groaning and growling, hating his ex-lover even more as the seconds passed. And what of Snape? Dear Zeus on Olympus, how was he to negotiate guardianship with a man that possibly loathed him even more than he did Sirius? He would be surprised if he and Snape survived the first five minutes in each other’s company, let alone sixteen years for Harry to reach his majority. Yet, he couldn’t ignore what losing Harry would mean to the magical community. 

Finally stopping in front of his old professor, Remus blew out a heavy breath and mumbled, “What do I need to do?”

“You and Snape are to meet with the solicitor in three day’s time. There, you’ll receive the terms of your guardianship. I presume that you’ll be required to share living space with Severus, but again, that will be outlined during the meeting. Any questions?”

Oh, there were several, but none that he dared to voice. Instead, Remus shook his head and made his way back to the cottage, leaving Dumbledore to stand in the cool evening air.

~*~

Richard Buttermore had never seen two more ill-suited men sitting before him in the history of... well, history, despite having been of service to both wizards and Muggles alike. Definite opposites; one was thin and dark, with a sallow complexion and an air of disdain about him, while the other was fidgety, light-coloured and looked like he’d rather be anywhere but sitting in front of a solicitor. 

To be honest, Buttermore fervently wished they were both elsewhere, as well. 

The dark one, Snape, sat at least the width of the desk apart from the other one, Lupin. He’d repeatedly refused to sit closer, as a matter of fact. Something about fleas, the smell of wet fur and the high probability of death. Lupin’s, not Snape’s. 

Constant huffs of irritation, eye rolling and clucking of the tongue came from Lupin’s side of the room. All the while, the tall, lanky man’s left leg bounced on the ball of his foot in a nervous fashion. Sometimes he would stop for a minute or two and remain absolutely still, as though listening for something, before returning to his antsy behaviour. 

Buttermore had now developed a crick in his neck from turning his head from side to side in order to speak to the men directly, and he was quickly losing his patience with their juvenile conduct. “Gentlemen, if we could proceed?”

“Why do you think we’re here? I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes and I have yet to hear anything of value pass your flapping lips,” Severus snapped. 

Trying to smooth things over, Remus cleared his throat. “I’m sure the man has a good reason for the delay, Severus.”

Snape narrowed his eyes and sneered at the werewolf. “I didn’t grant you the privilege of using my given name!”

“Well, considering we’re supposed to raise Harry together, I thought we could dispense with the formalities.”

“You thought wrong.” Severus sniffed and brushed off a piece of imaginary lint from his frock coat. “Of course, I’ve come to expect such behaviour from you and your little band of miscreants and—”

“They’re all dead, Snape! Sirius is in Azkaban, so what more do you want?” Remus shouted, hoping to end his tirade. “My head on a silver platter?”

The dark wizard looked thoughtful for a moment. “Can that be arranged?”

“Enough!”

Both men turned their attention to Buttermore, who was fuming and had turned a horrid shade of puce. 

“If you two are quite through, I will explain the particulars.” He glanced between them. “Is this amenable to you?”

“The Devil’s in the details,” Snape said with a nasty smirk. 

“Bloody hell, will you listen to the man?” Remus cried, pulling at the hair around his temples. “I believe we’ll find out more if you just shut your gob!”

“Lupin—”

“I will throw you out myself, if you say one more word that doesn’t pertain to the agenda at hand, Mister Snape!” Buttermore growled. 

Severus sat back in his chair pursing his lips, scowl firmly in place, though he remained blessedly quiet.

“As I mentioned before,” Buttermore continued after a brief period of silence, “this delicate situation must be handled with some urgency. We now have fifteen days in which to retrieve young Mister Potter from his mother’s family. I fear, should we delay in doing so, the consequences would not be favourable.”

“I’d still like to know how Severus and I were chosen,” Remus said. 

“As would I.” Snape echoed Lupin’s sentiment, not arguing for once.

Sighing heavily, Buttermore leaned back in his chair. “Though it may be a breach of privilege, I will tell you both that another couple had initially been named instead of you two. Then Lily Potter approached our firm to alter her Will, and I did as she wished, never questioning her decision. The same applied to James Potter. Whether they knowingly changed their Wills to each reflect a different party, we may never know; I only know that they did so.” He looked at Remus. “As you know, Mister Potter had named Sirius Black, but since Mister Black is unable to fulfil his responsibility, he named you in his stead.”

“That explains things,” Snape groused. 

Ignoring the sullen wizard to his left, Remus asked, “Who were the prior couple?”

Buttermore hesitated for a moment. “Frank and Alice Longbottom.”

Unbidden, Severus and Remus glanced at each other. It had become public knowledge that the loving couple had been tortured past the point of insanity and now had permanent residence in St. Mungo’s. It stood to reason that the Potters would have changed things after that tragedy. 

“Why not Petunia Evans? Surely Lily’s sister would care for the boy?” Snape posed the question before looking away from the werewolf.

“That’s where the child is now,” Buttermore replied. “Normally, I would agree with you, but one thing both Wills agreed on was that Harry was not to reside with Petunia Dursley.”

“Dursley? Someone married that horse-faced hag?” Snape sniggered. 

“Yes, well...” Buttermore cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “Be that as it may, the Potters were quite adamant that she not maintain contact with the boy.” He unlocked a drawer and withdrew a packet, handing it to Snape. “Mrs. Potter left you this, at your discretion.”

Severus stared at the bulky envelope, finally grasping it with trembling fingers. Feeling the outline of the item inside, he determined that it was a vial of some sort. He tucked it inside his cloak, determined to look at it later, away from prying eyes.

Irritated with Snape, hungry and edgy since the full moon was in a week’s time, Remus just wanted the meeting over with. “What now?”

Peering at both men, Buttermore stood and leaned over his desk. “You, gentlemen, _must_ be in accord. The Wills were written in such a manner that the guardian—or, in this case, guardians—must provide the best atmosphere of safety, protection and as nurturing environment as possible. I know nothing of your past history together, but, from what I gather here today, you both make a pitiful example of said conditions.”

“I take offense to that!” Remus growled.

Severus just snorted at his companion’s outrage. 

Buttermore pointed at them. “My point exactly. It was stipulated that you must work together, raise Harry Potter _together_. Can you not relate to each other with even a modicum of civility?”

Remus wanted to sneer, wanted to throw the chair he was currently sitting on out the diamond-paned window, wanted to throttle Snape, James and Sirius... in that order. He wanted to refuse—no, _needed_ to refuse. His life was directionless, at best. How could he possibly cope with a child... and Snape? Any sane person would’ve said _no_ the moment they knew the dour wizard was involved. He now questioned how sound his own mind was. He couldn’t possibly be considering... Oh, for the love of Merlin, he was such a predictable beast. 

Extending the proverbial olive branch—because he knew Severus would not, prideful bugger that he was—Remus spoke tentatively. “For Harry’s sake, I will make a concentrated effort to get along.” He directed his offer to Snape, who looked deep in contemplation. 

Severus wanted to bite out a scathing retort about how a ‘concentrated effort’ might send the werewolf around the bend, but he refrained, though it nearly killed him to do so. _Lily, what have you gotten me into? Why me? Why him? You knew how dangerous my life is; I can’t think you changed things inadvertently._ It was always in the forefront of his mind that the Dark Lord had been defeated a little too neatly, especially by an unknowing child. Dark and powerful magic was involved... the kind that never really disappeared. For that reason alone, Severus understood that if Harry was to survive in the future, should the Dark Lord rise again, it would take all his considerable resources to keep the boy alive. 

“I agree,” Snape said reluctantly. “For the sake of the child.”

Buttermore blew out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “I’m glad to hear it, gentlemen.” He mopped his brow with a linen handkerchief, then handed each man a file folder. “Here is the location of Harry Potter, along with necessary documents, such as the child’s birth certificate and a court order to retrieve him. From the reports I’m getting, I daresay the Dursleys will be more than happy to turn the boy over to you.”

Both wizards looked concerned. “Why?” Remus asked, alarmed.

“These are second-hand accounts, mind you, and—”

“I can guess,” Severus said with a growl. “I don’t imagine Petunia’s personality changed that much as she grew older. 

“Then we need to go now.” Remus stood and slipped on his jacket.

Standing, Severus also donned his coat. “With pleasure,” he drawled wickedly. 

Petunia Dursley would think that the Devil himself had darkened her doorway, once Snape arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

Vernon Dursley, rotund man that he was, always looked red and blotchy in the face. At that moment, however, he was a horrid shade of purple. “Petunia! Shut that blighter’s trap!”

Upstairs, Petunia Dursley covered Harry’s screaming mouth with her hand. “I’m trying!” she yelled down to her husband.

It had been two weeks since her sister’s just-as-freaky-as-she-had-been child had been delivered to their doorstep. They hadn’t needed to be told that the boy was different, they’d _known_. Every time the toddler cried, fragile things in the house would suddenly explode, such as the antique bone china in the display hutch. That had happened in the early morning hours of the first day. 

The second day had been worse. Unable to handle two toddlers and cook at the same time, Petunia had left Harry in the playpen with Dudley, figuring neither could do much damage to the other at that age. She’d thought wrong. Her first hint that something was off had been the swirling vortex of dishwater in the sink. It had risen up like a water spout, lifting the dishes that had been sitting in said water and flinging them about the kitchen. Then, she’d heard Harry’s piercing screams. After traversing the bits of flying crockery, she’d found the two boys crying in the playpen. Of course she had picked up her own child, leaving her bruise-covered nephew behind, and disappeared up the stairs to attend to her Duddykins. She’d never put them together again. 

Petunia had mistakenly assumed that Harry had been weaned from the bottle, even though her own child rarely drank from a beaker—if at all—and would only give her nephew a bowl of cold rice cereal and an overlarge spoon. Harry would just stare at the mush until he’d eventually become hungry enough to start eating it with his hands, creating a mess of himself and on the table. She would then snatch the half-eaten cereal from him and yell about how far behind he was compared to Dudley, about how weird he looked with the scar on his forehead and his unmanageable, wild hair. As Harry never understood a word of her tirade, his face would scrunch up from the shrill noise coming from her mouth and he’d sob until he hiccupped. 

If Dudley and Harry were anywhere near each other, it always spelled disaster. At sixteen months of age, a scant four weeks older than Harry, Dudley barely crawled and constantly sucked on his dummy, while Harry walked hesitantly and was refused any type of comfort. No blanket to warm him, no soothing gel rubbed on his teething gums, no hugs and kisses as his parents had once showered him with. Such an abrupt change in atmosphere caused Harry to regress to the point of extremely clingy behaviour and, seeing that his cousin was the only one around, he would often try to interact with Dudley, who had wanted nothing to do with him. His cousin would pinch and poke at Harry, in order to get the younger boy to leave him alone. Most times it worked. Others, it didn’t, and Harry would eventually be made to cry or scream, inadvertently breaking something in the process with magic. 

It was going on the third week of the brat staying with them and Petunia was about ready to take the little weirdo out to Land’s End and leave him there for the gulls. Her Dudley was never that much trouble. Had she the nerve, she might have swatted her nephew on the bum, but she didn’t want to hazard whatever catastrophe that might cause in backlash. As it was, she was stuck with a freak that no one wanted and a sister she still hated, even though she was dead.

~*~

Remus and Severus stood just outside the ring of light provided by the street lamp, staring at number four Privet Drive. 

“Seems respectable enough,” Remus casually observed. 

“You of all people should know that looks can be deceiving,” Snape said in retort. He noticed a rather large man move in front of the bay window, gesturing wildly. “That must be her husband.”

The portly man’s loud voice could be heard outside the house. Lupin winced. “Vocal fellow, isn’t he?”

Snape’s lip curled. “Quite.” He watched the house for several more minutes, hoping for a glimpse of Lily’s sister. 

Leaning over to whisper in his companion’s ear, Remus asked, “How do you want to do this, exactly?”

The play of the other man’s breath upon his skin shouldn’t have sent shivers of the non-hate sort up Severus’ spine like it did. “Move away before I hex you.”

“I almost forgot how surly you are.”

Oh, he could definitely show the wolf how mean-tempered he could be. “I could reacquaint you with the notion easily enough.”

Remus was about to respond when several cracks appeared in the glass window, which then shattered, revealing the sound of a screaming child. “Merlin, what are they doing to him?”

“That’s nothing compared to what I’ll do to her,” Severus growled, advancing up the drive to knock on the door.

“Maybe I should talk to them first,” Lupin suggested, running to catch up with the dark wizard.

“Maybe you should go polish some silver and leave me the hell alone to do my work!”

Catching Snape’s hand before he could raise it to knock, Remus narrowed his eyes. “You’ll cause a scene, being in this state.”

Shaking the werewolf loose, Snape pounded on the door. “It was a scene long before we got here.”

The door opened to reveal the man that had been passing back and forth in front of the window before it was destroyed. He was carrying a chubby child. “Who the bloody hell are you?” He looked both men up and down.

Snape gave him a decidedly wicked smile. “Tell Petunia ‘that awful boy’ is here.”

Vernon frowned in confusion and backed away slowly. He tried to shut the door in their faces, but Severus prevented any movement by bracing the wood with a spell to remain open. 

This, of course, caused Dursley’s face to pale, which was saying something. “Petunia!” he yelled. “More freaks!” Clutching Dudley to his chest, he ran towards the kitchen.

Holding a wriggling, crying Harry, Petunia stomped down the stairs and stopped in abject horror, staring at the men standing at her door. “Oh, my God!”

“Not quite,” Snape said with a smirk. He folded his arms across his chest. “Long time, no see, _Tuney_.”

She tightened her grip around the squirming child. “You have no business here!” she screeched, backing up the steps.

As Severus stepped over the threshold, his magic crackled, making him look even more intimidating than usual. Once he and Lupin were fully inside, he spelled the door shut with a bang.

Remus snorted at Snape’s ostentatious display of power. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”

“Cease your prattle, Lupin, and find the other boy.”

Petunia watched as the taller man strode down the hallway to the back of the house. “Where’s my Duddykins?”

Snape’s eyes followed Lupin’s form, though purely for aesthetic reasons. “I’m sure he’ll be joining us shortly.”

“Don’t you harm my baby!”

“I can assure you, I want nothing to do with any spawn of yours,” Severus said, sneering. “I just want a little insurance, if you will, that you’ll comply with our request.”

Harry’s cries now bordered on hysteria from being squeezed by his aunt, while she slowly came down the stairs, scurrying into the lounge and past her childhood nemesis. “What do you want?”

At that moment, Remus came from around the corner, holding onto one of Vernon’s arms while the other still held Dudley. “It’s quite simple, really,” he answered, having heard the discussion.

Withdrawing the packet of documents Buttermore had given them, Severus produced the one detailing that Harry was now to be turned over to him and Lupin. “I assume you can read?” he drawled, handing the paperwork to Petunia.

“Still as nasty and wretched as you used to be, eh, Snape?” She snatched them while still keeping hold of Harry, who had quieted upon seeing the dark wizard.

“Still just as ugly and non-magical as ever, Petunia?” he shot back with a cruel leer.

“Severus,” Remus warned in a low tone. “Remember Harry.”

Glancing at the toddler in the woman’s arms, Severus flinched at how much he resembled his father. He was about to issue a scathing remark when he caught Harry’s eyes, Lily’s eyes, and the rebuke was silenced on his lips. 

“This proves nothing,” Petunia snapped, flinging the documents back at Snape after reading them. “That Dumbledore fellow said we weren’t allowed to let him leave because of the blood-wards.”

“Those conditions have changed,” Remus pointed out. “According to Lily’s Will, they—”

“Do you love your son?” Snape asked her, as he moved to the other side of Vernon, who had remained silent, unsure of his footing around the strange men.

Remus, already wary of Severus, became increasingly concerned when Snape started stroking Dudley’s dark blond curls. “What are you doing?” he hissed.

Ignoring the werewolf, Snape pinned his gaze on Petunia, smirking when he saw her anxiety level skyrocket. “Children are so _fragile_ , aren’t they?” He caressed the cherub-like cheeks of the boy. “It would be such a _shame_ if there were to be an accident,” he whispered darkly. 

Vernon began to splutter, Dudley whimpered and Petunia immediately shoved Harry off her lap to land on the floor with a thud. “Take the freak,” she snarled and shoved her nephew towards Snape with her foot. “He’s already destroyed more than he’s worth.”

But Snape still touched Dudley, terrifying the adults in the room, including Remus. 

“Severus, let’s go.” The latter went and picked up Harry to cuddle him close.

As if disappointed, Snape backed away, following Lupin to the front door. “Remember, _Tuney_ ,” he said silkily, “we’re always watching you.” 

The house reverberated with the crashing of the door, leaving Vernon, Dudley and Petunia frozen, afraid to move for hours afterwards.

~*~

“What the hell was that?” Remus demanded once they had left Privet Drive. Harry had finally fallen asleep in his arms, exhausted from the entire ordeal.

“Lower your voice!” Severus darted his gaze to the slumbering boy. “Any louder and you’ll wake him.”

“Answer the question!” 

Stopping abruptly, Severus turned and poked Remus in the chest, hard. “Let’s just have this out, so as to avoid any misunderstandings from now on—yes?” Not giving the other man a chance to answer, he went on. “I don’t need you in my life but, through circumstances not of my making, I’m undoubtedly stuck with you. I didn’t need you along on this little excursion tonight, as I am more than capable of terrifying a few Muggles on my own, but again, I was given little choice. In the future, you will refrain from making snap judgements where I am concerned. We needed to get Harry out of there; I expedited it. Do not presume my methods were anything less than efficient.”

“Your so-called methods scarred those Muggles for life!”

“Good!” Snape’s voice had risen as the conversation had progressed, and he was now shouting. “I wanted them to fear me, to fear the consequences of their actions!”

Harry began whimpering, his tiny hands flexing on Remus’ jumper. “Now who’ll wake the baby?” Lupin asked with raised eyebrows.

Snape rolled his eyes and turned to the right, heading down a side street. “You sound like a fishwife.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home,” the dark wizard answered over his shoulder, never stopping. 

“Severus!” Remus shouted as loud as he dared. “Where is home?”

That did cause Snape to stop and slowly turn to face Lupin. “Zeus’ bollocks,” he whispered, his eyes growing wide with fear. “You’ll have to stay with me at Hogwarts and spend summers at Spinner’s End.” He paled considerably. “That wasn’t part of the contract!”

“Just figured that out now, did you?” Remus couldn’t help himself as he smirked.

Lips thinned, Severus strode towards them and wrapped his arms around the taller wizard and the bundle in between them. “Shut up, Lupin,” he muttered. With that, he Apparated them to the gates of Hogwarts, wondering afterwards why he had felt emptier than he’d had in his entire life, once he’d stepped backward and let them go.


	4. Chapter 4

“I trust you ran into no difficulties?” Dumbledore asked, watching the two men sit in the outer lounge of Snape’s new chambers.

“Well, there was—”

“None,” Severus answered quickly, cutting off Lupin. “She gave him to us, no questions asked.”

Albus glanced between the two, his eyes narrowed. “I see. And how is Harry doing?” He looked at the small boy curled up against Lupin’s chest and tucked beneath his chin.

Irritated and waiting on Snape to speak for them, since he seemed to have all the answers, Remus huffed when he realised that the dour wizard had remained silent on purpose. “He was very distraught when we arrived. It seems he’s already manifesting strong magic when upset.”

“I thought as much.” Dumbledore nodded in agreement. “Severus? You will find that there is a room attached to your bedchamber which will serve as Harry’s nursery whilst you are here.”

“If there are ducks, unicorns, or any furry woodland creatures frolicking on the walls, Headmaster, I will personally burn the room to ash.” As an afterthought, Severus asked, “Who will watch the child while I teach?”

“You teach?” Remus asked, highly curious. He knew very little of Snape at the moment, but he intended to learn more... and quickly.

“Don’t sound so surprised, Lupin. I’m quite capable.” Severus shrugged off his cloak and unclasped the first five buttons of his black tunic to reveal a white shirt beneath, before sinking into a leather wingback chair near the fire. 

Hoping to avoid a possible row, Albus answered the question. “Yes, Severus has just accepted the post of Potions Master. And, for the time being, I imagine Remus here could look after Harry during your teaching hours, until other arrangements can be made.”

“But I thought he...” Remus had known that Snape worked for Dumbledore in the capacity of a spy before the Dark Lord had been vanquished, and still did occasional work for the Order, but he hadn’t given much thought to what the man did now. He had to admit that having Severus teach the next generation of wizards and witches seemed highly dubious, given his background, and he wondered if Dumbledore was allowing the dark man to stay for _other_ reasons. 

“You thought I what, Lupin?” Severus had stopped rubbing his temples to glare at the werewolf. “That I was working for the other side, so to speak?” He snorted and closed his eyes, leaning his head back to rest on the chair. “If you hadn’t noticed, that arena of job opportunity is a bit scarce at the moment, since the Dark Lord is dead.” 

Remus didn’t miss the quick glance that Dumbledore gave a sleeping Harry. He would need to ask Severus if Voldemort being gone was truly the case. Somehow, he felt there was more to the story and, if he knew Dumbledore, he wouldn’t be getting any answers from that corner. Not that it would be easier to get answers from Severus, but at least he might have a chance, living in such close quarters with him. 

After stroking his long beard in contemplation, Albus headed towards the door. “I’ll leave you to it then, gentlemen. Severus, it’s Saturday tomorrow, but I won’t expect you at the head table for any meals. You can take them here in your quarters for the weekend, to better acquaint yourself with young Master Potter.” With a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes, he exited the chamber.

Harry chose that moment to rouse, sitting up with a wobble and rubbing at his eyes and nose. He gazed into the kind, blue eyes of Remus, who smiled hesitantly at him and brushed a wayward lock off his forehead. 

“Hello, Harry.” 

Tears immediately filled the child’s eyes and he let out a resounding wail. 

“Make him stop!” Snape growled, covering his ears.

Holding Harry at arm’s length, Remus fumed. “Gladly! How do I do that?”

“I thought you knew how to take care of babies?” 

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Don’t you think of him as your cub, or pup, or something equally anthropomorphic?”

Wincing at the rising decibel of Harry’s cries, Remus groused, “Typical, Snape. Just typical.”

“Good lord, what is that stench?” Severus covered his nose and mouth in disgust.

“I don’t...” Remus pulled Harry towards him and groaned. “Oh, no...”

“What?”

“Erm, I think he needs a new nappy.”

“Nappy? I don’t have any nappies!” A look of horror was etched on Snape’s face and, if Remus wasn’t in the same boat with him, he would’ve laughed at the sight. 

“Then we had better find some.” Still holding Harry at arm’s length, Remus stood and looked around the room. 

“Check the nursery,” Severus suggested, standing as well, to follow the sandy-blond wizard. 

Snape entered the darkened room and turned on the light, only to be surprised at the decor. Several different breeds of dragons adorned the walls, their powerful bodies flying over the hills and dales depicted. There were also numerous pieces of furniture, including a cot, a changing table and a bureau of drawers all done in mahogany wood, scattered about the place. The floor was covered with a rich hunter-green carpet that was plush and springy when one stepped on it. Severus had a suspicion that, if Harry were to fall on said carpet, the child would simply bounce, with no harm done to him. 

“There,” Remus said, indicating with his head the bag that was hooked onto the changing table. 

Snape peered inside the sack and withdrew a rectangular cloth. He glanced between the squalling Harry and the piece of fabric. “Where does it go?”

Exasperated, Remus laid Harry on top of the table. “You’re twenty-one, Severus. You can’t tell me you’ve never seen a child’s nappy changed in all those years.”

Snape’s response was to toss the cloth in the other man’s face. “You’re the same age. Tell me _you’ve_ seen it done.”

Grimacing, Remus unbuttoned Harry’s outfit at the bottom. “Well, no. Whenever I would visit James and Lily, he didn’t need a change or, if he did, they took him out of the room.”

“Lucky you,” Snape groused. Despite himself, he examined Remus’ work, studying the way he peeled away the clothing to reveal a rubber covering. “What’s that?”

Frowning, Remus shrugged. “I don’t know.” Pulling on the edges, he tugged the covering off to see a cloth similar to the one Snape had thrown at him. The reveal also allowed them to see how badly Harry had soiled himself.

“Oh, dear Merlin, that isn’t natural!” Severus turned away to keep from sicking up. 

“This may be the one and only time I agree with you, Severus, but yeah.” Remus slowly drew back the cloth to see excrement all over Harry’s abdomen, buttocks and upper thighs. The fumes were ghastly and both men tried desperately not to lose their stomachs.

“What do we wipe it off with?”

“Cast a cleansing charm,” Snape supplied, holding his nose. 

“I can’t. See those red marks on his skin?” There were multiple patches of broken skin that were red and inflamed. “If I cast a cleansing charm, it’ll irritate him more than he already is.”

Severus began to pace, trying to think of something that he could use. “Wait, I think there is something in Slughorn’s old cabinet.” 

Remus watched him leave, then returned his attention to the tearful boy. “It’s okay, Harry. I’m sure between the both of us we’ll manage not to kill you. At least, not until you’re older.”

“Here.” Snape placed a jar of thick white cream in front of the werewolf. “It’s used for burns, but I think this will work. The concept is the same, if it is indeed uric acid that is causing the chafing on his skin.”

“We’ll give it a try.” Having wiped off the excess mess with the cloth, Remus lifted Harry’s legs to remove the excrement completely from the baby’s bum. “I need something damp to get rid of all of it.”

Scanning the room, Severus spied a box that said ‘nappy wipes’. “I think this is what you’re looking for.”

Taking one of the lightly scented fabric wipes, Remus gently pressed the cloth to Harry’s inflamed bottom, only to have the boy scream in agony. “What’s in those things?”

Severus grabbed the box and read the list of ingredients. “Water, sodium diamphoacetate, coco phosphatidyl PG-dimonium chloride,” he read, growing more outraged with each foreign word, “propylene glycol, glycerine, hydroxymethyl cellulose, methyl and propyl paraben.”

Both men looked at the whimpering Harry. “No wonder he screamed,” Remus said ruefully. “Can’t we use just plain water?”

“ _Aguamenti_ ,” Severus murmured, saturating a towel he found in the room. “This should work.”

And for the most part, it did. After removing any trace of mess, Lupin slathered the white cream on all the broken skin and fastened the fresh nappy in place with safety pins. Snape took the clothing Harry had been wearing, which was also soiled beyond repair and disposed of it, afterwards dressing him in blue, footed pyjamas. 

“How often do they do this?” Severus inquired, as he placed the boy in his cot, watching him stand by the rails. Harry stared intensely at him and it soon became unnerving, so Snape moved near the door.

“Twice, maybe three times a day?” Remus guessed. He honestly had no clue. 

Just then, Harry’s face turned bright red with strain. “What’s he doing there?” Snape asked, pointing at the now squatting youngster. 

Remus, who had made himself comfortable in the rocking chair, glanced over and frowned. “He looks like he’s going to explode!” He rushed to Harry’s side only to stop just short of picking up the toddler. 

A loud squelching sound issued forth from the lad’s bum, and the stench that had just been vanquished returned with a vengeance. Snape slowly turned to glare at Lupin.

“I thought you said only two or three times in a day.”

“Maybe Lily had said two or three times an hour.” 

“There’s a considerable margin of error here, Lupin.”

“May I remind you that, like you, I’ve never taken care of a child before? It stands to reason that there will be many errors—on both our parts!” He plucked Harry from the cot and handed him over to Snape. “I did the first one, now it’s your turn.” He left without another word.

Severus scowled, deeply. The child had not eased up in his stare and it made Snape’s skin fairly crawl with a mixture of fear and reprimand—an odd combination. He hadn’t been afraid in a long while and certainly not of a toddler. “Bloody Lupin,” he grumbled, laying Harry on the table to change his soiled nappy. 

Repeating Lupin’s previous actions, in a more efficient manner, if he said so himself, he zipped Harry’s pyjamas and then braved to return the look the boy gave him. Harry’s eyes were the same vibrant green that Lily’s had been, but that was where the resemblance to her ended. Thick, black hair in wild disarray covered the child’s head. Thinking to move a few strands from the babe’s vision, he pushed the locks away and brushed against the lightning-bolt scar.

Harry let out a blood-curdling scream and Severus gasped at the images that assaulted his mind. He moved away quickly and covered his mouth to keep from crying out himself. That was how Remus found them.

“What happened? Why did Harry shout?”

But Severus wouldn’t answer. He just kept shaking his head before turning to pace the room. 

“Snape?” Remus picked up the whimpering Harry and hugged him close. “Severus!”

Stopping abruptly, the new Potions Master looked whiter than a sheet. “I...” He swallowed thickly. “I have to do some research.” With that, he quickly exited the room.

Confused at the dark wizard’s behaviour, Remus decided to try and rock Harry to sleep, seeing that the hour was late and everyone was exhausted. Humming a lullaby his mother had sung to him on the nights just before a transformation, he pondered the lanky man that he now shared a child with, until he fell asleep alongside the Boy Who Lived.

~*~

It wasn’t possible. The Dark Lord’s most loyal servants had hissed of his death for weeks. Severus himself had felt the oppressive weight of his choice ease with the maniac’s passing; even the Dark Mark had faded somewhat. 

So why had touching Harry’s scar frozen Severus with abject dread and fill his vision with clear pictures of everything that had happened on Hallowe’en night? 

His anxiety around Harry now became clear, if what he’d seen was anything to go by. The Dark Lord was anything but dead.

In fact, if his suspicions were correct, there was a sliver of Tom Riddle residing within the vulnerable child, just waiting for an opportune moment.


	5. Chapter 5

Closing the door to the bathroom, Severus slumped onto the tile floor and took deep breaths in order to control his emotions. He had too much pride to break down in front of Lupin and he was already reproaching himself for what he had already shown the other wizard. Laying the back of his head on the rim of the claw-footed tub, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the images that had flashed in his mind.

_Lily, bright and beautiful, playing with Harry in her lap, though there was a weariness about her face—a face that contorted to one of confusion then morphed into terror. Panic overwhelmed everything and Severus had to remind himself that Harry was only a toddler and not capable of sorting through complex emotions._

_There was anxious grasping as Lily clutched Harry to her chest and looked for a place to hide, only to find none. It was too late. The door had been blown off its hinges, revealing the Dark Lord, his wand poised to end them. Lily’s eyes filled Severus’ vision and he could see her lips moving frantically, as if chanting a spell. He could only guess the nature of said spell and wondered if it had been the reason Harry survived at all._

_Lily turned away to speak, presumably to the Dark Lord, and then shook her head. She did this several times before she covered Harry’s body with her own, but then went limp and fell to the floor. Tears welled in Severus’ eyes as he watched the moment his friend had died. He did not have long to grieve, however, for his serpentine master already stood before Harry, a malicious smirk firmly in place._

_Words were spat at the child and then the wand rose. The moment the deadly curse left Voldemort’s thin lips was the moment the same spell rebounded and vaporized him. Only his cloak was left behind. There was a red haze that covered Harry’s vision, as if the evil, instead of looking at the boy, was looking from within. The red mist continued to cloud his vision until it faded to darkness._

Panting, Severus opened his eyes, blinked them a couple times and stood on shaky feet. He knew he was not as adept at Legilimency and Occlumency as Dumbledore was; he was still learning the nuances, but he suspected he might find the answers he sought by taking a further voyage into Harry’s young mind. He just needed to find a way to do it without the wolf around.

Patting down his robe, he passed over the packet that Lily had left for him. Retrieving it, he opened it to see a short note and a vial filled with a misty-blue liquid. He set the glass vial off to the side and read the scrap of paper.

_Sev,_

_If you’re reading this, then they have found us and we are gone. I pray Harry is safe within your care. The vial contains a memory that I created for you regarding my son. Use a Pensieve to view it. I hope it helps._

_Lily_

Where the hell was he going to find a Pensieve? They were tricky bits of magic and Severus had never seen one. There had to be some way of accessing one, though, or else Lily wouldn’t have left him the memory. 

Opening the lavatory door, he slipped into his bedchamber to don his cloak. Passing by the nursery, he paused to look inside and had to stifle a chuckle, despite the melancholy of the past hour. 

Head tilted to the side, with drool running down his chin, Remus dozed in the rocking chair still holding onto Harry, who was wide awake and staring at him again with those unnerving eyes. Snape was about to leave them thus, when the boy wiggled off Lupin’s lap and toddled towards Severus, stopping to grasp the black fabric of his robe. 

Harry, after steadying himself, reached up both hands, to be picked up. Severus hesitated for a moment then bent low to retrieve the child, hefting him to straddle his right hip. “You should be asleep,” he murmured.

Bottom lip pouting, Harry rubbed at his eyes. “Mum,” he voiced with a grunt. 

It was the first thing Snape had heard him say besides screaming, and it made his hard heart clench painfully. “Mum is... gone,” he said softly, unwilling to say the word ‘dead’ to a child, though it was the truth.

A forlorn expression settled on Harry’s face. “Dada.” 

“Dada is gone.” Severus tried to retain the hatred he had felt for James Potter, but looking into Potter’s son’s teary eyes, it was damn near impossible. 

The boy’s next actions finally broke the self-protective wall Severus had always encased himself in. Small fingers lightly touched Severus’ nose and then his cheeks, chin and forehead. Apparently satisfied with what he saw, Harry leaned forward and placed a sloppy kiss on Severus’ jaw. “Dada.”

“No,” he said, trying to dissuade the boy.

“Dada.”

Severus tried putting Harry in the cot, but he refused to let go of Severus’ clothes. “Time for sleep.”

“No, Dada!” Harry wailed.

This woke Lupin, who had apparently been dreaming. “Where are they?”

“Where are who?” Snape demanded, as he pried Harry’s hands from his cloak.

Clearing his throat, Remus muttered, “Never mind.” Looking at the scene before him, he asked, “Why is he crying again?”

“I need to leave, and he was engaging in imprinting.”

“Imprinting?” Remus crossed to the cot. “You mean he thought you were his father?”

Severus avoided the look Lupin gave him. “Possibly.” Finally free from Harry’s grasp, he headed to the door. “I’ll return shortly.”

Remus and Harry stared after him, one confused, the other wishing Snape would return and keep the bad, dark thoughts away.

~*~

“It’s late, Severus.”

“I know, but I must speak with you.”

Dumbledore sighed heavily and opened the door further, allowing Severus to enter. “Is something wrong with Harry?”

“Oh, there are _many_ things wrong with him.” Besides the obvious, Severus wondered if he should tell Dumbledore about what he had found. Knowing the old man was as much a manipulator as Voldemort ever was, he decided to hold his tongue on that matter. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Remus, then?”

Severus frowned for a moment. “No, there is nothing wrong with _him_. At least nothing that can be _fixed_ , of course,” he added nastily.

Ignoring the bait, Albus glared at the young man. “Then why are you here?”

“Do you know where I might find a Pensieve?”

“A Pensieve? At this hour?”

“I didn’t know they had a time limit.”

Dumbledore pursed his lips. “They don’t, but my patience does. Why do you need such a thing?”

“It’s personal.”

In a sudden move, Dumbledore gripped Severus’ left forearm and squeezed hard. “Nothing is too personal, Severus. You will have no secrets. Not from me.”

He would be a liar and an unmitigated fool if he said he wasn’t quite fearful of Albus Dumbledore in that moment. “I received a memory that I must view. It concerns Harry.”

Releasing Snape, Dumbledore stepped back. “From whom?”

“I don’t know,” Severus answered honestly. He really didn’t know who had left the memory for him, though he doubted it had been James Potter. “It was given to me by Buttermore.”

Without another word, the Headmaster nodded and traversed his study. He came to a stop at a stone wall, where he murmured in an ancient language. His words triggered the wall to rise, revealing a stone pedestal where a silver basin resided, surrounded on three sides by mirrors. In the bowl was a shimmering liquid that looked like water, but on closer inspection was too thick and viscous to be that. 

“I needn’t remind you that you are not to tell anyone of its existence,” Dumbledore ordered in a roundabout way, beckoning Severus to look into its depths.

“You have my word,” Snape whispered in awe. He’d only read about Pensieves so his curiosity was highly piqued. His nose was touching the surface before he realised that he didn’t know what to do.

“Pour the contents of the container into the liquid and then dip your face past the surface to view the memory,” Dumbledore instructed.

Severus withdrew the glass tube and dispensed the misty-blue fluid it held, watching it sink to the bottom of the bowl and swirl like a lazy vortex. He glanced at Dumbledore to see if he was staying and was relieved to see the old wizard walk behind his desk and sit, fingers steepled. Deciding that was about as much privacy he would get, he plunged his face into the bowl.

_Standing in an unfamiliar bedroom, Snape gasped when the door opened and Lily appeared, closing the door after her. She made her way to the dressing table and sat on the vanity bench to look at herself in the mirror, concentrating._

_“Severus?”_

_“Lily!” he wept, crossing the room to sit next to her on the wide seat, but she didn’t respond to him, only kept looking in the mirror. So, he turned in the same direction she was faced and watched her._

_“I want you to know that...” She paused, wringing her fingers in her lap. “I want you to know that I eventually forgave you. It wasn’t easy, and I know we’ll never be friends like we were, but I just wanted you to know.”_

_Tears seeped to the edge of his lashes. He had strived for many months, even years, to obtain her forgiveness, never receiving acknowledgement until now. A heavy burden was lifted from his chest._

_“But, I also know that you were in league with those Death Eaters. At least, Dumbledore said you were, when I asked.”_

_Bloody meddling Dumbledore! He would definitely have a few things to say about—_

_“I know you’re not like that, though,” she continued. “You’re not the kind of person that says one thing and does another, like Sirius Black.” She rolled her eyes. “You were dark when I met you, dark throughout school and remained so after leaving Hogwarts. If anything, you were consistent.”_

_He had to chuckle at that._

_“You pressed so hard for me to forgive you. And someone who asks for that doesn’t have it in them to be so evil. Riddle doesn’t care if someone forgives him; he annihilates them so he doesn’t have to deal with them ever again.” She dropped her head and shivered a little. “I’m so afraid, Sev. I know he’ll target Harry; I just know it. And while I’d like to think I’m pretty strong with protection spells and such, I know that James and I are no match for him—not if he really wants to find us.”_

_Severus wished he could wrap his arms around her just once, to comfort her._

_She lifted her gaze to the mirror again. “Promise me that you’ll watch out for him!” she said, heatedly. “They’ve already got to Frank and Alice. Poor Neville will grow up never knowing his parents; I don’t want that for Harry. At least, if you are with him, I know he’ll be able to defend himself against anything. You know what Riddle is like, you know how to train Harry to defeat him and I know that you won’t fail my son.”_

_The weight that had previously lifted with her mercy was back, now pressed even more heavily upon his shoulders with her request._

_“Who better than you to raise Harry? I know James wishes for it to be Sirius, but you have something he doesn’t: my trust and complete faith.”_

_Covering his mouth, Severus sobbed silently._

_“It may be that you both raise Harry.” She laughed a little. “I would almost hate to miss that. You and Sirius, arguing over what my son eats or wears, even what kind of toys he has.” Her laughter turned to weeping. “If things progress as I fear, I will never get to see those things. I envy you that.” She leaned close to the looking-glass and smiled tremulously. “I trust you to love Harry as you loved me.”_

_Sniffing, Severus nodded. “I will. I promise.”_

_She smirked. “Who knows? Maybe you and Sirius will have to get on so well that you’ll fall in love.” She had the gall to wink at him._

_If she’d only known that it wouldn’t be Black who’d sit in his chambers, but bloody Lupin, who was a fair shade more handsome than that mangy black cur, though he would never tell the werewolf that._

_“Please, tell Harry I love him and to mind his manners. Keep this memory, so that he may look at it when you think he’s old enough to handle it. And lastly...” she said, pausing for a great long while. “Thank you. For everything. For being my friend, for your love and devotion, and for your unfailing moral compass. I know you will pass on these traits to my Harry.”_

Waiting for more, Severus was not prepared to have himself thrust from the bowl, his cheeks wet with tears.

“Here.” Albus handed him a handkerchief without questioning why he needed it. 

Snape took it, wiped his face, and handed it back. “Thank you,” he muttered, still somewhat dazed.

“Well?”

Frowning, Snape turned to him. “Well, what?”

“What did you learn?” Albus studied him closely.

“Nothing of consequence,” Snape promised.

“Why don’t I believe you?”

Severus’ lip curled into a sneer. “I can’t help what you do or don’t believe.”

“In your position, I would think you’d do everything in your power to make sure I believe you,” Dumbledore snarled. “ _Legilimens_!” 

But Snape had anticipated the Headmaster would push into his mind, and so had prepared himself with a powerful Occlumens, shielding everything he’d just observed with a carefully planted memory of Lily and himself during their childhood. When Dumbledore retreated, Severus knew from the look on the old wizard’s face he had been successful in hiding the truth.

“Satisfied?” Snape spat.

Dumbledore’s expression was carefully neutral. “For now. You should head back to Harry.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Wrapping his inky cloak around him, Severus left the Headmaster’s study.

~*~

“Where have you been?” Remus asked quietly once Severus had shut the door.

“We’re not married, Lupin; you have no right to question my whereabouts.”

“I do, if Harry cries for you all evening.”

“Why didn’t you console him?” Really, he would have to make other arrangements, if Lupin was proving to be this ineffectual.

“I tried!” Remus was beyond exasperated. “All he wanted was his Dada!”

Severus strode to the nursery with Lupin after him and cracked open the door to check on Harry. “For all intents and purposes, you are his father as well.” He was relieved to see the boy asleep on his stomach, bum in the air.

“We’ve agreed that I’m _Papa_ and you are _Dada_.”

“Agreed? So you sat down and had an intelligent conversation with a fifteen-month old boy about titles for his guardians?” Snape shut the door and proceeded to his bed chamber.

“You know what I’m talking about, Severus.” Remus still followed him and even sat in a chair next to the bed while Snape continued on to the adjoining bathroom. “I think he’s more attached to you.”

“I don’t see how that is possible. You’ve spent more time holding him and establishing contact than I have.” Snape unbuttoned his black tunic and stripped off the white shirt underneath, leaving him bare-chested. He poked his head back into the bedroom. “And get out of my room.”

Remus stood and marched over to the sink, where Severus was washing his face. “Gladly, but first, tell me where I’m to stay.”

“I don’t care where you stay, as long as it’s not in my bedroom.” 

“There isn’t even a sofa in your lounge, Severus.” He pointed at the overlarge bed in the middle of the room. “And you have plenty of room here. I promise I won’t come near you.”

“Likely story,” Snape muttered. He rubbed his face with a towel. “Sleep on the floor, then.”

Finally losing his temper—a thing which he rarely did— Remus snatched the cloth Snape had in his hand, and flung it aside. “If I sleep on the floor, I won’t so much as close my eyes. And no sleep means a grouchy werewolf, one that can’t help you with Harry during the night if he wakes up, which he will probably do since he’s in a strange environment. Buttermore said we need to try to get along, and I am trying... but you’re making it very difficult to keep my end of that bargain.”

Lupin was very close to him, almost touching his nose as he spoke, and Severus didn’t know whether to lean forward and see if the other man’s pink lips tasted as good as they looked, or back away and hex him out of the bathroom. Very few people knew that Severus fancied men—except for Lily, the only woman he had ever loved, and, of course, Regulus Black, his long-lost lover—and he’d preferred to keep it that way. Being in such close quarters with Lupin on a regular basis, however, it was bound to come up, _literally_ , and he mentally debated if he should get it out in the open just this once.

Remus was angry and frustrated at Severus’ behaviour in general, but he soon found it hard to concentrate on the topic at hand. Jet black eyes studied his, and he felt as if he were being methodically picked apart from the inside out. It was when Snape’s eyes were lowered to his lips that Remus’ breath involuntarily caught in his chest. Without real thought to what he was doing, he leaned forward a fraction and pressed his mouth to Severus’, nearly moaning at the slightly minty taste. 

If anyone had told Severus two months earlier that he would be snogging Remus Lupin in his loo at Hogwarts, he would’ve had them committed to St. Mungo’s for having lost their wits. As it was, he was definitely losing _his_ , around the werewolf. He threaded his fingers through the tawny locks, slanting his lips over Remus’ and finding that their taste was indeed sweet. 

Breaking the kiss in order to breathe, he panted against Severus’ cheek. “That was unexpected.”

Severus’ stiffened out of habit at his words. So much had happened that evening, and his emotions were running high. Had Lupin regretted his impromptu kiss?

“But no less desired,” Remus whispered, pressing his lips to Severus’ forehead. “Please, let me stay.”

Maybe just for that night, in case Harry awoke needing one of them. “For now.”


	6. Chapter 6

‘For now’ turned out to be twenty minutes. That was how long Remus and Severus were able to touch and savour each other before Harry started wailing. 

Severus huffed and leaned his forehead against Remus’ shoulder. “I changed the last one.”

“Technically, I did. There was another explosion, after you left.”

Huffing in irritation at Remus’ sniggering, Severus withdrew and slipped out of bed. He grabbed his silk dressing robe, and wrapped himself up in it as he made his way to the nursery. He murmured _Lumos_ , so that he didn’t have to switch on the harsh overhead light which would startle Harry. 

“Just how much have you eaten, that you’ve soiled several nappies in a few hours’ time?”

A hiccupping cry was the only response he got.

Severus picked the boy up and tucked him under his chin, prepared to take him to the table, but he stopped after a moment. “You’re clean,” he muttered, after feeling the baby’s bum and not smelling the noxious fumes he had earlier. He looked into Harry’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Dada,” Harry whimpered and buried his nose against Severus’ neck.

Unsure of what to do, Severus moved to put him back in the cot, but Harry wouldn’t have anything to do with it, showing his displeasure very loudly. “All right, I won’t put you back,” Severus assured him. “Hungry?” he asked, trying to think of things that could be wrong.

Harry just rubbed at his eyes, snuffled, and promptly fell asleep, ensconced in Severus’ arms.

“Bugger.” Leaving the nursery, Severus entered his bedchamber and sat on the bed next to a shirtless Remus. “He refuses to sleep in his cot.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Remus said, laying his hand on Harry’s head, gently stroking the flyaway locks. “He’s been jostled about, feared abandonment, I’m sure, and heard a lot of screaming. _I’d_ be stressed, as well.” 

Thinking about earlier, Severus grimaced. “There may be another reason,” he said hesitantly. 

Remus frowned and sat up. “What?”

Sliding fully into the bed, the dark wizard lay on his side and placed Harry between himself and Remus. “Do you know about Legilimency?”

Mirroring Severus’ pose, Remus lay too, studying the other man. “It’s powerful magic; I know that.”

“It gives the wielder the ability to enter the thoughts, memories, and ideas of the person they wish to ‘observe’. I’ve been studying it for many years, as well as its counter attack, Occlumency.”

“What does that have to do with Harry?”

Snape stroked his jaw in contemplation. “I glimpsed a fraction of Harry’s mind earlier this evening.”

Remus’ eyes widened. “What did you see?”

Closing his own eyes against the images, Severus blew out a pent up breath. “Lily’s death and...”

“And?” Remus prompted when it looked like Snape would rather not talk about it.

“The Dark Lord,” Snape whispered. 

Darting his gaze to a now peacefully slumbering Harry, Remus paled significantly. “What are you saying?”

“I need to see more.”

“How?”

Lying on his back, Harry apparently felt safe, as his deep breathing indicated. 

“By entering here,” Severus said, placing his fingers lightly upon the boy’s forehead near the scar. 

“Can it be done in one so young?”

“If I’m careful.”

“I trust you.”

Severus narrowed his eyes and snapped them to Remus. “Why?”

The werewolf smirked. “Because you care for Harry.”

Severus snorted. “You know nothing.”

“I know a lot more than you think,” Remus said softly. “He’s peaceful around you. When children encounter people in their lives, they have an innate sense of their intentions, character and personality. He trusts you, whether you acknowledge it or not. Therefore, I trust you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Plus, it helps that you smell good.” Pointing to his own nose, he smiled. “It never lies.”

Rolling his eyes, Severus tried to hide a smirk and almost succeeded. “It will be easier on the boy if he’s asleep when I perform the spell.”

“I’ll keep watch that you’re not disturbed, or in case of any trouble.”

Nodding, Severus gingerly touched his fingers to Harry’s skin and whispered, “ _Legilimens_.”

_It was as he expected: chaotic. Thoughts weren’t fully formed and were filled with images with no discernible dialogue. That was, until he carefully slipped deeper into Harry’s subconscious. There, Severus found an oily darkness that clung to him, luring him with whispered promises of power. How intoxicating it was—sickly sweet like opium, begging him to take just one more whiff and succumb to the dark need that always lay beneath the surface of his flesh._

_He backed away as much as he could and still remain in Harry’s head, but it was extremely difficult. It was almost like quicksand: seemingly harmless until you stumbled into it. Then you were gone almost before you knew it. He thought he was through the worst of it, when he was blindsided with a memory no child could ever have._

_Murder. Specifically, that of James and Lily. Everything, from finding Godric’s Hollow to the confusion and rage at the boy’s survival, was swirling here in this remote corner of Harry’s brain. Thinking he’d seen enough, Severus started to withdraw, but was shocked to come across none other than Peter Pettigrew. He was whispering things to Riddle, nodding with a malicious smirk that gave Severus chills. How on earth was Pettigrew involved in all of this? Needing to know more, he plunged deeper into memories that were clearly not Harry’s._

_Scene after scene of Pettigrew’s treachery was presented; some were easily accessed, others, however, were damned near impossible to reach. Severus almost lost himself within them. What unnerved him most, though, was the glimpse of a ring, beautiful to behold, and Tom Riddle caressing it like a lover. It then switched to a scene where Riddle was older, possibly after his leaving Hogwarts, and in a ramshackle building, placing the ring inside a golden box and hiding it beneath the shack's rotting floorboards. Severus was about to study this particular memory closer, when Riddle turned and stared straight at him._

_“Snape.”_

His name was only whispered, but it was enough to make him leave Harry’s mind immediately. Shaking, pale, and about to vomit, Severus rolled off the bed and ran to the bathroom. He clutched the sides of the porcelain bowl and emptied his stomach, his eyes squeezed shut as if that would stop what he’d seen. 

“Severus?” Remus asked quietly from the doorway. 

Spiting the remaining bile into the water, Severus stood on unsteady legs and flushed the toilet. “I’m fine,” he said, waving off the other man. “It was draining; that’s all.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Remus soaked a flannel with tap water and handed it to Severus. “Put this on the back of your neck. It’ll help.”

“I know how to take care of myself,” Snape snapped and pushed the wet cloth away. He shoved his way past Lupin and into the bedchamber, only to stop and study a still slumbering Harry. “You have no idea what sort of trouble we’ve inherited.”

Remus came to stand just behind him and followed his gaze. “Again, what did you see?”

Severus told him what he’d witnessed, especially the part about Pettigrew, though he wisely left the encounter with Riddle out of any discussion. He was already paranoid enough; he didn’t need a werewolf that was constantly looking over his shoulder, creating even more stress. It wouldn’t be good for Harry. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. 

“So Peter betrayed them,” Remus whispered after several moments. “That means Sirius is innocent!”

Cursing himself five times for a fool, Severus mentally berated the imprudent decision of not curbing his tongue. “Is he?” he drawled. 

Remus frowned. “You know he is.” 

“I think not. I have the scars, emotional and physical, to prove it,” Severus hissed.

“You would hold a grudge, even now?”

Backing the taller wizard against the wall, Snape sneered. “You weren’t the one tormented!”

“But this is a man’s life—his freedom!”

“Then, by all means, prove him innocent,” Severus said with disdain. “You lack a key player in this whole debacle: Pettigrew. Assuming he’s not dead, I can guarantee that, even if you find him, he won’t let you take him alive.”

Remus wanted to argue with him, but he knew Snape was right. Unless they could find Peter, it would be futile to try and free Sirius. “We need to tell Dumbledore.”

Severus snorted. “He is the last person I would tell. I suggest you take that to heart.”

“Why?”

“Our dear Headmaster is just as manipulative, just as wily, as the Dark Lord—if not more so. There is some game afoot here and I feel that we are just the pawns, waiting for someone to make a move. Better to be on the defensive rather than run blindly into a situation like a bloody Gryffindor.”

Ignoring the blatant invitation to a verbal spar, Remus rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. “So what do we do now, then?” 

“Research.” Severus made his way back to his side of the bed and slipped under the covers, placing the arm that held the Dark Mark away from Harry. “But first, sleep.”

“That’s it? We just sleep on it?”

Yawning, Snape muttered a _Nox_ to extinguish the lights. “Suit yourself. Stay up and worry, if you like.”

“You’re impossible!” Remus threw his hands in the air and climbed into bed on Harry’s other side. 

“I doubt anything more will happen tonight, with Harry sleeping right here, and I’m past the point of exhaustion. If I am to be of any use, I need to rest, even if it’s only for a few hours.”

“Fine,” Remus said begrudgingly. “I’m quite tired myself. Research will just have to wait for tomorrow.”

“First sensible thing you’ve said since I had the unfortunate luck to meet up with you again.”

The dark room held a tense silence. “I never approved of what James and Sirius did to you, you know?” Remus murmured.

“Too little, too late.” There was a shifting of covers and a slight whimper from Harry. “The damage has already been done. Leave it alone.”

“My apology still stands,” Remus muttered and fell asleep soon after.

~*~

“Mister Lupin, what’re you doing in the Restricted Section?”

Remus gave Madam Pince an affable smile. “Looking for a book, of course.” He gave her a cheeky wink. 

She was not swayed by his charm. “Maybe if you would tell me what you’re looking for, I could locate it for you.”

He grimaced somewhat. “See, that’s the problem. I have an idea what I want, but nothing specific.”

“Then what, in general, are you seeking?” There was exasperation in her voice. 

“Something in the area of personality transference, maybe?”

Pince frowned for a moment, then moved over to a section that had many thick tomes, all with weighty chains attached to them. “You might find this section helpful. Do be careful with this one, though.” She pointed at a red leather-bound volume. “It will steal your soul, if you read it aloud.”

His brows rose into his hairline. “Thank you for the warning.” He watched her nod and leave—he supposed on some errand or off to reprimand a student. 

After a night of heavy sleep for Severus, Harry and himself, it had been decided that Snape would try to give the boy a bath, while Remus would begin the research. Several theories abounded between him and Severus, so there was a lot of material that needed sifting through. 

Taking _Magick Moste Evile _from the topmost shelf, Remus sat at a desk near the bookcase containing the section Pince had indicated. He honestly feared moving from the area while holding one of the books, imagining all sorts of terrible things that might happen. Having skimmed the contents, he began with the introduction.__

___“Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak, nor give direction.”_ _ _

__What the hell was a Horcrux? He flipped through the pages, searching with growing frustration at finding nothing more. Reaching the end leaf, he slammed the book closed, which he quickly regretted, since it started to growl at him._ _

__“Sorry,” he muttered and stroked the spine. The growls lowered to rumblings._ _

__“Why is that book snarling at you, Lupin?”_ _

__Remus had only himself to blame for the near heart attack Severus gave him by sneaking up behind him. “Are you always so light-footed?” he grumbled._ _

__Severus quirked a brow. “Are you always so anxious?” He switched Harry from his left hip to his right._ _

__“Sometimes.” Remus stood and walked over to the men who were now a part of his life. “Do you know what a Horcrux is?”_ _

__“No, what is it?”_ _

__Harry happily sucked on his dummy, his hand firmly wrapped around Severus’ lapel. His verdant eyes looked at Remus, and he seemed to finally decide he wanted to be held by him. “Papa.”_ _

__Unable to help the smile that graced his face, Remus gladly took Harry and cuddled him close, inhaling his freshly washed scent. “How was his bath?”_ _

__“We are never to discuss this travesty,” Severus snarled. “I ended up changing my robes. Twice.”_ _

__“Maybe we should give him his bath together—one to hold him, the other to wash?”_ _

__“It bears thought.” Severus stroked his bottom lip in concentration, unaware that Remus watched the motion with flashing eyes. “I’ve not heard of a Horcrux,” he said, suddenly changing the subject back. “What is it?”_ _

__They moved together to exit the library and headed towards the Great Hall for a leisurely lunch. “I have no idea. I was hoping you had more information.”_ _

__“Did you reference other books on the subject?”_ _

__Glancing around, Remus leaned in and whispered, “I don’t think there’ll be any more information. What I read said it would not be discussed.”_ _

__With Lupin so close, Severus was able to look his fill without seeming obvious. “There are _other_ libraries,” he said with a devious smirk. _ _

__“Where?”_ _

__“Like I’d tell you.” Severus spied Dumbledore already seated at the head table. “If you can keep the Headmaster occupied for a couple hours, I’m sure I could find something.”_ _

__“Why don’t I like this idea?”_ _

__Snape shrugged. “You’re not Slytherin enough?”_ _

__Any retort Remus had was forgotten when Dumbledore stood and made his way towards them. “My goodness, you boys do clean up quite well.”_ _

__Harry was still curled into Remus, while Severus stood next to them, arms crossed. “You’d be clean too, if you’d taken as many dousing as I have this morning.”_ _

__“Trouble?” the Headmaster asked, amused._ _

__“None that couldn’t be handled.” Severus manoeuvred around Dumbledore and made his way to a seat at the table._ _

__“I’m guessing it was like trying to bathe a cat: full of hissing, spitting and quite terrifying to behold, at least on Snape’s part,” Remus said. “Sir, would you be available to accompany me to Hogsmeade this afternoon?”_ _

__Dumbledore had kept his gazed trained on Severus, though Remus was speaking to him. “Hmm? Oh, yes... of course.”_ _

__“Good. Harry could use some more clothes, and I’m absolutely pants at that sort of thing.” Remus followed the Headmaster to the table, and sat next to Snape. When Dumbledore was suitably distracted, Remus leaned over and murmured, “You have three hours this afternoon.”_ _

__Severus shouldn’t want the wolf to linger near him, but that didn’t stop him from gasping when Remus stole a quick kiss just beneath his ear. “I’ll see what I can find.”_ _

____

~*~

“If I were a Dark text, where would I hide?” Severus said aloud in the Headmaster’s chamber.

For a good hour, he perused shelves, cupboards, desks and niches in search of any pertinent books regarding Horcruxes. Holding his hand a few inches above each item, he slowly made his way around the room, until he reached a painting of a bowl of fruit that hung midway on a wall behind the large desk. It was clearly Muggle in origin and spoke of mediocre skill. What intrigued Severus the most, though, were the almost impenetrable wards surrounding it, indicating that something precious lay hidden behind it. 

It took him forty-five minutes to get past the wards, and he got a few singed fingers for his efforts. Finally plucking the painting off the wall, Severus frowned at seeing just another section of wall and not a hole or other concealment spot. He was putting the painting back when he scraped his knuckles across the rough stone, smearing traces of blood onto where it would be hung once more. Instantly, a small, rectangular hole that held a slim volume was revealed. 

“Blood magic,” Severus harrumphed in disgust. Setting the frame to the side, he snatched the book and looked it over. “ _Secrets of the Darkest Arts_.” It thrummed with malevolent energy, and it was all he could do not to succumb to its seductive allure. Though he despised Dumbledore for keeping the D.A.D.A. position from becoming his, he now understood the reasoning behind the Headmaster’s refusal to let him teach the class. How easily he could fall into that trap again, like an addict. 

Strengthening his resolve, he made an exact duplicate of the text and placed the original back in the slot. He re-hung the painting, adding to the wards that had been in place with something a little stronger than blood magic. Severus was, after all, dark in nature; his magic should reflect that. Tucking the volume inside his robe pocket, he quietly left the Headmaster’s office.

~*~

When Remus returned from his trip, his arms full of a cranky Harry, and packages floating behind him, he handed the squirming child over to Severus and collapsed in the nearest chair. “Being a parent isn’t as easy as it looks,” he groaned while stretching.

Harry calmed immediately the moment he spotted Severus. “Dada!” he cried, reaching for the man’s face with sticky fingers. 

Severus winced when the goo-covered digits slapped onto his cheeks. “What on earth did you feed him?”

“We passed by Honeydukes and a lolly caught his fancy.” Remus ran a hand through his shaggy locks, leaving them standing straight up in some areas due to his own sticky fingers. 

Severus had to cough to cover the chuckle that threatened to let loose at the sight. The dark wizard returned his gaze to Harry. “A thorough cleaning for you, then.” He disappeared into the bathroom with the child in tow.

Remus sat slumped in the chair and stared at the low fire in the grate. It had been rather tedious spending time with Harry _and_ Dumbledore, when he was used to the almost complete solitude he’d had since leaving Hogwarts. Factor in that, within a week’s time, he would need to head to his old haunt, the Shrieking Shack, for his transformation and that he was suffering from a near constant itch to touch Severus, and he was ready to give up and let someone Avada him.

He didn’t know if Dumbledore had bought the story of his needing new things for Harry, but the old man had remained with them the entire time. Hopefully, Severus had obtained some sort of information that could be useful, for Remus surely couldn’t do anything like that again. He was about to nod off, when Snape appeared in his line of vision and made himself comfortable in another chair, off to Remus’ left.

“Harry’s sleeping for the moment.” Severus steepled his fingers and pressed his lips against them in deep contemplation. “I found something,” he offered quietly.

Remus leaned closer. “What?”

Severus nodded in the direction of a small book lying upon the coffee table. “I’ve read most of it. What I could, at least; some of it is in an unfamiliar language. What I did read, though, was...” He swallowed thickly. “Disturbing.”

“That bad?” Hearing that from Severus made him want to throw the thing into the fire, but he gingerly picked it up and opened it to the first page. “ _Immortality_ ,” he read.

“No!” Snape whispered harshly. “Do not read aloud! There are all manner of Dark spells and content in there, some triggered merely by being spoken.”

“Sorry.” Remus looked sheepish. Head bent over the book, he read silently, gasping every now and then, or closing his eyes and shuddering after reading some passages. When he came to the chapter on Horcruxes, he darted his gaze to Severus. “Is this...”

“Yes... in great detail, I might add.”

Remus read further, covering his mouth to keep from sicking up, and growing paler by the minute. At one point, it became too much and he flung the book away from him, standing quickly. “My god, Severus,” he choked while pacing. “How... why... I can’t believe...” He gave up trying to verbalise anything.

Severus watched him stride back and forth in the small lounge. The time had come for them to make a decision regarding Harry and, while he wished he could be the sole guardian for the boy, he knew it would be an exercise in futility if he tried to do things on his own. There were too many variables in a situation such as the one they were in, and he knew that—when it came right down to it—if Harry were threatened by anything, Remus would gladly lay down his life to protect him. Severus’ heart twinged a bit, to know that the werewolf wouldn’t do the same for him and that his crusade to free Black might very well jeopardize all of their lives. 

“You have a choice before you.”

Halting his pacing, Remus frowned. “What kind of choice? About what?”

“Seeing as I was in the Dark Lord’s employ for several years, I can almost guarantee that, if that book is indeed correct, he created a Horcrux—likely more than one.”

“In this, we are in agreement,” Remus said, sitting once more. “What does that have to do with a choice?”

Lowering his eyes, Severus began fiddling with the long row of buttons on his coat. “You must make the choice of either helping me find these Horcruxes or committing yourself to freeing Black.” He gave the other wizard credit for not answering right away.

Remus leaned back in his chair and stared into the fire, his gaze pensive. After what seemed like hours, he slowly rose and made his way over to Severus, only to kneel in front of him. Without permission, he unfastened the buttons on Snape’s left cuff and rolled the fabric up to reveal the Dark Mark. “Why did you take this?” he asked in a hushed voice.

Throughout the entire scene, not once had Severus reprimanded Remus for his presumption and, even now, he did not have it in him to chastise the wolf for being curious. “I was angry, disgruntled, arrogant, and opportunistic—everything a megalomaniac looks for in his followers.”

Smiling ruefully, Remus nodded. “I know we have never really seen eye-to-eye on much of anything, save how dreadful nappy–changing can be, but I’d like to think that we can at least come to care for each other, yes?” He gave Severus a hopeful look. “I mean, it would make the raising of Harry much more tolerable, if we were—”

His prattle was effectively ceased when Severus captured his lips in a searing kiss. Severus deepened it, when he heard Remus moan, and threaded his long finger through the sandy-blond strands to hold him in place for his assault. “Do you care for me?” Severus whispered against Remus’ mouth, with a nip at the plump flesh.

“I’m afraid I could. More than you can imagine.” 

“Then what is your choice?” Severus hated giving Lupin the chance to reunite with his old lover but he wanted no second thoughts in that matter. The whole ordeal would be nothing less than deadly if there were any doubts. 

Remus leaned his forehead against Severus’. “I cannot say that I won’t stop trying to free Sirius,” he murmured but quickly amended his words when he felt Snape stiffen. “However, I want to help you and Harry—you two are my family now and I protect what’s mine.”

“I expect nothing less than a Wizard’s Oath in return if I am to believe that.” 

A hint of vulnerability entered Remus’ gaze. “Do you not trust me?”

Severus cupped his face and caressed the soft skin of his cheeks. “I trust you to do what is right for Harry, but these things we’ll have to face will be like nothing we’ve seen before. If I’m correct, and I usually am—” he glared at Remus’ snort before continuing “—each of these Horcruxes contains a piece of the Dark Lord’s soul. The man was cunning, devious and manipulative in life; if these items are imbued with even a portion of his soul, they could hold sway over your own life, convince you of things that aren’t real.” He looked at Remus pointedly. “Convince you that Harry and I are the enemy.”

Eyes widening, Remus finally understood what Severus was asking of him. “I swear upon the blood of Merlin, upon the blood of my forefathers and the magic of my chosen house, Gryffindor, that I will protect, care for, and defend Severus Snape and Harry Potter to the best of my abilities or my life be forfeit. So mote it be.”

Finding his heart in his throat, Severus repeated the same oath, substituting Slytherin for Gryffindor and Remus for himself. When he muttered, “So mote it be,” there was a flash of blue light that filled the room momentarily before disappearing, leaving behind a slight weight bearing down upon their shoulders.

Both men took some time to sort through their thoughts, silence reigning until Remus said, “I want to see Harry.”

Rising together, they made their way to the nursery. A _Lumos_ was cast, and the soft, pulsing light shed enough brightness to allow them to see that Harry was slumbering peacefully on his stomach, his small bum stuck in the air. 

“Do you think we should tell Dumbledore what we know?”

Severus snorted. “He probably already knows. That’s why he’s keen on keeping tabs on the boy.” He shook his head in disgust. “I won’t let him treat Harry like a lamb for the slaughter.”

Tears fringed Remus’ lashes. “How do we get rid of whatever is inside of him?”

“Research.” Severus clasped Remus’ hand in his. “It may take years to find out everything but, if it keeps Harry safe, so be it.”

“And what about us?”

Leaning over, Severus pressed a soft kiss to Remus’ stubbled jaw. “I’m sure we can find ways of relieving the stress, don’t you think?”

Instead of answering verbally, Remus closed what little distance lay between them, wrapped Severus in his arms and nuzzled his neck. He nipped at the taut column of corded muscle, hoping he left several marks behind. 

They were moving towards the door when they heard a sound that stopped them in their tracks. A loud squelch filled the air, followed by an intolerable stench, and both wizards groaned. 

“Papa,” Harry whimpered and stood wobbling by the cot rail. 

Barely stifling a snort, Severus patted Remus on the back. “Looks like it’s your turn.” He quickly exited, leaving the werewolf to change Harry’s dirty nappy.

Biting back a retort, Remus lifted Harry from the bed and laid him on the table to unzip his pyjamas. “Your dada is a coward,” he whispered conspiratorially to the youngster.

Harry gurgled in response and kicked his legs. “Luff Dada.”

Remus couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, I know you love Dada.” 

“Luff Papa.”

Tremulously, Remus brushed away the wayward locks that always seemed to obscure the toddler’s vision. “I love you too, cub.”

After the nappy had been disposed of, Remus sat with Harry in the rocking chair for a bit, humming several lullabies in hopes that the boy would fall back to sleep. When Harry’s breathing evened out, Remus remained in the chair, contemplating the direction his life had taken just a few short days ago. 

He had once been aimless and searching. Now, he had a family, responsibilities, and a sworn duty to keep said family safe in the coming years. He foresaw years of researching ways to destroy Horcruxes, of him and Snape keeping their noses low to the ground in order to smell approaching danger, thwarting one attempt on Harry’s life after another. He also saw an opportunity to build something rare and wonderful with Severus, the solid beginning of their mutual attraction definitely playing a pivotal role. 

Could he come to love Severus as much as he had loved Sirius? Thinking back to Severus’ hesitant question about if he cared for him, Remus thought that yes, he could, maybe even beyond the mere infatuation he had felt for Black. He knew it would be all or nothing with Severus, and he was prepared to risk the same.

Even if Severus refused to ever change another nappy in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to those that commented/gave kudos/bookmarked this story. Yes, there is a sequel in the works.


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